Los Angeles County is examining volunteer opportunities as new benefit requirements take effect. For residents unable to find paid work, volunteering may offer another way to qualify, but some people are exempt altogether.
Finding a job can be difficult. For some Los Angeles County residents receiving food assistance or health coverage, the challenge now carries another concern: Could they lose benefits because they cannot meet federal work requirements?
Volunteering may provide an alternative.
Under federal rules affecting CalFresh and Medi-Cal, certain recipients can satisfy work or community-engagement requirements through qualifying volunteer activities, even without a paid job.
But there is a problem: Finding an organization that has openings, offers enough hours and will verify participation is not always easy.
Los Angeles County supervisors are considering how to address that gap.
What is LA County proposing?
A revised motion on the November 10 Board of Supervisors agenda asks the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) to inventory volunteer opportunities that could satisfy CalFresh and Medi-Cal requirements.
The proposed report would identify locations, available monthly hours, types of work and estimates of affected recipients across county regions.
Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Hilda Solis also proposed examining background-check barriers, employment opportunities and how residents are screened for exemptions.
The motion calls for a written report within 14 days and a November 17 presentation.
The final Board action and any amendments still require confirmation.
The larger question is whether enough accessible volunteer opportunities exist for residents who need them.
Can volunteering count toward CalFresh requirements?
Yes.
California’s CalFresh work-requirements guidance explains that affected adults can meet requirements through employment, qualifying volunteer work, community service, education or training.
For many people subject to the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) rules, the standard is approximately 20 hours weekly or 80 hours monthly.
The requirements are part of a broader debate about benefit eligibility and employment. As Parriva previously reported on working CalFresh recipients, having a job does not necessarily mean earning enough to cover basic needs.
Another option, called Workfare, can require fewer hours. The county calculates the required participation based on program rules.
LA County’s DPSS volunteer resource page says residents can approach nonprofit organizations willing to verify their participation.
However, DPSS warns that organizations listed in volunteer directories may not have available openings.
Before starting, residents should confirm with DPSS that the activity qualifies and ask the organization whether it will document completed hours.
What about Medi-Cal?
The timeline is different.
Beginning January 1, 2027, some adults ages 19–64 will face new Medi-Cal work and community-engagement requirements.
According to California’s Medi-Cal guidance, qualifying options include working, volunteering, education and job training.
For those required to comply, volunteering or community service generally must total at least 80 hours monthly. Some people can combine qualifying activities or meet an earnings threshold instead.
The rules apply to specified adult coverage groups, not everyone receiving Medi-Cal.
Existing members generally will be assessed at their applicable renewal rather than automatically losing coverage on January 1.
These requirements are among several Medi-Cal changes arriving in 2027, with different deadlines and eligibility rules that patients should not confuse.
Who may be exempt from the requirements?
This may be the most important question for some families.
CalFresh: Exemptions can include pregnancy, physical or mental inability to work, living with a CalFresh household member younger than 14, and certain caregiving, education or other qualifying circumstances.
Medi-Cal: Exemptions include pregnancy and the specified postpartum period, caring for a young child, disability, serious health conditions, Medicare enrollment, certain former foster youth and other protected categories.
The two programs do not have identical rules.
Disability-related protections also require attention. As Parriva explained in its coverage of the federal Medicaid work-requirement ruling, an October court decision rejected additional restrictions affecting people with serious medical conditions.
Residents should not assume they must volunteer before asking whether an exemption applies.
What should residents do now?
If you receive CalFresh or Medi-Cal, start by determining whether the work requirement actually applies to you.
For CalFresh, LA County’s explanation of work rules and exemptions identifies circumstances that may excuse participation and explains how to contact DPSS.
If volunteering is appropriate, ask your DPSS worker about qualifying activities, Workfare, required hours and verification forms before committing to a placement.
For Medi-Cal, review notices from the county or state and respond promptly to requests for eligibility or exemption information.
Residents can contact the LA County DPSS Customer Service Center at 866-613-3777.
What’s next?
The county’s proposed inventory could answer questions that federal eligibility rules alone cannot: How many volunteer openings exist, where are they located, and can residents realistically complete the required hours?
Transportation, scheduling, disability access and background checks could determine whether an opportunity is usable.
For residents unable to find paid employment, volunteering may help protect essential benefits.
But an option that exists in government guidance is only useful if people can actually access it.
That is the question Los Angeles County now faces.
